Grammar: the Present Continuous

To be (am is are) + V ing

We use the Present Continuous to say that the action is happening at the time of speaking.

Please, don’t make so much noise. I am working.

Where is Ruth? She is having a lesson.

Hello, Jane. Are you enjoying the party?

We use the Present Continuous to say that the action is happening in a period around now.

Are you working this week? No, I’m on holiday.

You are working hard today. Yes, I have a lot to do.

We use the Present Continuous to talk about changes happening around now.

The population of China is rising very fast.

Your English is getting better.

We use the Present Continuous with always when smb. means that you do smth. very often, more often than normal or reasonable.

You are always going to bed very late. You should have a rest more.

He’s got a bad mark again. Not again. He is always getting them.

We use the Present Continuous with be to say how smb. is behaving at this moment.

Why are you being so lazy today? I’m very tired.

The Present Continuous is not normally used with the following verbs:

Like, love, hate, want, need, prefer, know, realize, suppose, mean, understand, believe, remember, belong, contain, consist, own, depend, seem, recognize, see, hear, wish, feel, have, desire, think, hope, smell, taste, the Present Simple is used instead.

He owns a big house in the USA.

The country consists of 51 states.

Now I understand you.

She believes nobody.

I still remember this man.

 

Exercises

Complete the sentences with one of the following verbs in the correct form.

come get happenlook make start stay try work

1. You re working... hard today.' 'Yes, I have a lot to do.

2. I…………….. for Christine. Do you know where she is?

3. It…………….dark. Shall I turn on the light?

4. They haven't got anywhere to live at the moment.

5. They……….. with friends until they find somewhere.

6. Are you ready, Ann?' 'Yes, I..........................'

7. Have you got an umbrella? It......................... to rain.

8. You................... a lot of noise. Could you be quieter? I............ to concentrate.

9. Why are all these people here? What....................?

 

Use the words in brackets to complete the questions.

1. ' Is Colin working... this week?' 'No, he's on holiday.' (Colin/work)

2. Why........................................ at me like that? What's the matter? (you/look)

3. 'Jenny is a student at university.' 'Is she? What.........................?' (she/study)

4...... to the radio or can I turn it off? (anybody/listen)

5. How is your English?.................................. better? (it/get)

Put the verb into the correct form. Sometimes you need the negative (I'm not doing etc.).

1. I'm tired. I. 'm going... (go) to bed now. Goodnight!

2. We can go out now. It isn't raining... (rain) any more.

3. 'How is your new job?' 'Not so good at the moment. I........................... (enjoy) it very much.'

4. Catherine phoned me last night. She's on holiday in France. She................ (have) a great time and doesn't want to come back.

5. I want to lose weight, so this week I.............................. (eat) lunch.

6. Angela has just started evening classes. She...................... (learn) German.

7. I think Paul and Ann have had an argument. They........................ (speak) to each other.

Read this conversation between Brian and Sarah. Put the verbs into the correct form.

SARAH: Brian! How nice to see you! What (l)........................... (you/do) these days?

BRIAN: I (2)......................................... (train) to be a supermarket manager.

SARAH: Really? What's it like? (3)............................. I (you/enjoy) it?

BRIAN: It's all right. What about you?

SARAH: Well, actually I (4)..... (not/work) at the moment.

I (5)....................................................... (try) to find a job but it's not easy.

But I'm very busy. I (6)................................................ (decorate).my flat.

BRIAN: (7)......................................... (you/do) it alone?

SARAH: No, some friends of mine (8)............................. (help) me.

Complete the sentences using one of these verbs:

get change rise fall increase You don't have to use all the verbs and you can use a verb more than once.

1 The population of the world...is rising... very fast.

2 Ken is still ill but he.,................................... better slowly.

3 The world........................................... Things never stay the same.

4 The cost of living,............,........................... Every year things are more expensive.

5 The economic situation is already very bad and it…………..worse.

 

 

Unit 4

Before you read

Discuss the following with your partner.

-Do you know much about economics?

-Think which of these statements you think are true:

-Then explain to your partner why.

1. Economics is only the study of money

2. Economics is something governments take care of.

3. An economist basically decides how money is spent.

 

 

A Vocabulary

Match the words with the definitions:

1. budget A the people who control a country and make laws

2. business B information

3. convenience C company that sells goods or services

4. data D easiness

5. demand E the amount of money you have for something

6. government F how much people want something

7. inflation G the number of people without work

8. resources H something such as money, workers or minerals

belonging to an organization, country etc which

can be used to function property

9. trade-off I rising prices

10. unemployment J giving away something in exchange for smth

 

Reading 1

What does economics study?

What do you think of when you hear the word economics? Money, certainly, and perhaps more complicated things like business, inflation and unemployment. The science of economics studies all of these, but many more things as well. Perhaps you think that economics is all about the decisions that governments and business managers take. In fact, economists study the decisions that we all take every day.

Very simply, economics studies the way people deal with a fact of life: resources are limited, but our demand for them certainly is not. Resources may be material things such as food, housing and heating. There are some resources, though, that we cannot touch. Time, space and convenience, for example, are also resources. Think of a day. There are only 24 hours in one, and we have to choose the best way to spend them. Our everyday lives are full of decisions like these. Every decision we make is a trade-off. If you spend more time working, you make more money. However, you will have less time to relax. Economists study the trade-offs people make. They study the reasons for their decisions. They look at the effects those decisions have on our lives and our society.